An Analysis of the State of Public Archaeology in Canadian Public School Curricula

Public support of archaeology is required to have effective heritage legislation and the prevention of site vandalism and looting. One of the best ways for the public to understand the importance of archaeology and heritage conservation is through school-aged education. This paper examines the nature and extent to which archaeology is covered in Canadian public school curricula. To determine the extent of archaeological material in school curricula, Social Studies curricula from each province and territory are examined and critically evaluated. This analysis indicates that archaeology is not often taught in curricula, and when it is taught, lacks a Canadian focus. For further evaluation, these findings are compared to the guidelines developed by the Canadian Archaeological Association (CAA), to determine if its expectations for students' achievement in archaeology are appropriate and are being met. This research emphasizes the gap between CAA guidelines and Canadian curricula and pinpoints what is lacking in school-aged archaeological education in Canada.